Blue Gold features Helen Sarkinos of River Alliance of Wisconsin, who works to decommission dams in Wisconsin and world-wide. Helen explains that rivers carry nutrients which are important for soil to grow food and allow rainwater to recharge the aquifer. A dam stops these nutrients, causing soil erosion, failure of crops, and hard desert land which does not allow rain to soak into the ground. Rainwater creates flash floods which drain to the sea. Upstream, the rise of water behind the dam collects mercury and other contaminants as it floods the land. As this water remains stagnant, oxygen dies and water pollution results.
Politically, dams are used by governments to stop water flow into neighboring countries, make money with corrupt construction deals, and even control the local population by controlling the water flow. Thus they are a major source of water wars.
 Although it was not the case when the hydroelectric dams were built, there are now plenty of alternate energy sources that allows us to remove the dams and return the rivers and water cycle to normal.
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